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Husky Stadium Earns NACDA Sustainability Award

  • 08/03/15

CLEVELAND, OH – The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USG Corporation have announced The University of Washington (UW) as the winner of the inaugural USG NACDA Sustainability Award. UW was chosen from a pool of four finalists and received the award for its work on Husky Stadium.

The Sustainability Award will be officially presented to Washington on Saturday, October 17, at the award-winning facility Husky Stadium, during the Huskies homecoming football game against Oregon.

“Sustainability is an important part of our athletic culture at UW, and we’re honored to receive this award,” says Scott Woodward, director of athletics at Washington. “Newly renovated Husky Stadium is considered 'The Greatest Setting in College Football' in large part due to the attention that was given to showcasing our stunning natural environment with its beautiful lake and mountain views. We have made it a top priority to preserve the beauty of our surroundings and our waste diversion rate of 75 percent reflects the commitment of Husky staff and fans to sustainability.”

The USG NACDA Sustainability Award was designed to recognize NCAA Division I institutions, honoring athletics directors and their universities for incorporating sustainable practices and materials into their athletics facilities. An eight-person committee consisting of athletics directors across the country and representatives from USG and NACDA aided in selecting Washington as this year's first award winner.

“We are proud to award Scott and his staff at Washington the inaugural USG NACDA Sustainability Award,” says Executive Director Bob Vecchione. “Husky Stadium’s unique location has allowed for industry-leading sustainable practices that help showcase one of the top collegiate facilities in the nation. The efforts displayed at the University of Washington are what we had in mind when we created this award to recognize the top environmentally conscious facilities in college athletics. We look forward to expanding this program in the future to honor those NACDA members who are applying similar standards at their facilities across the country.”

”Husky Stadium is a game changer for sustainability in sports construction,” says Rik Master, senior manager, Sustainability, USG. “It’s a great example of what can happen when a program embraces innovative thinking and the importance of building for the future.”

Husky Stadium was completed on Aug. 8, 2013, designed by HOK (formerly 360 Architects), and represents the future of sustainability in sports facilities. The project’s approach to sustainability looked past the basics of water and energy conservation to enhance infrastructure, reduce the building’s impact on the surrounding environment and provide a platform that has allowed UW to promote sustainability to its stakeholders, students and fans.

The project team identified and implemented strategies to maintain and reuse the shrubs and trees onsite, protecting the buffer zone between the stadium and the wetlands. The project has also received Salmon Safe Certification through the Pacific Rivers Council, recognizing UW for its transformative land management practices, including pollution capture, storm water capture and cleansing, construction activity pollution reduction strategies, and maintaining a green infrastructure buffer. All these strategies focus on protecting the vital waterways that are used by fishes of the Northwest.

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